


Sleep Training

by LittleRose13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Babies, Baby Albus, F/M, Newborn, Potter Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 02:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13354980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRose13/pseuds/LittleRose13
Summary: Ginny closed her eyes and looked upwards for a second, before sighing deeply. “He's awake, again. We need to sleep train, Hermione explained it to me. Apparently Rose can already do it.” She rolled her eyes.“Yeah, definitely, sounds great. When we're not both exhausted yes?” Harry mumbled.Harry and Ginny think they’ve got this parenting thing down, but with a toddler and a newborn, they start to rethink things.





	Sleep Training

A cold wind rattled the window frame of the kitchen window as the lights inside combatted the pressing darkness from outside. It was that horribly deep point in the winter where daylight hours were scarce and stars were more common than sunlight. 

Despite the oppressing weather, the Potters’ house was a bubble of shining happiness. Ginny cradled their tiny baby in her arms, sharing a glance with Harry who gently took him from his wife, supporting his head, and tucked him into the crook of his arm. Baby Albus was awake, peering up at his parents and gently squirming. 

“He’s three weeks old today,” Ginny commented, taking hold of one of Albus’ hands. He gripped her fingertip tightly. 

“He’s amazing,” Harry replied, gently stroking the baby’s cheek with his finger. 

Baby Albus screwed his face up and started to whine faintly. Harry jiggled him around gently and made faces at him but all he did was squirm more in Harry’s arms, opening his mouth widely. Ginny laughed and reached for him. “I don’t think you can help him there.” 

Harry handed the baby over so Ginny could nurse him. As she settled into a chair to feed their new baby, a faint cry sounded from upstairs. 

“Mumma!” it came from James’ bedroom. 

Ginny closed her eyes and looked upwards for a second, before sighing deeply. “He’s awake, again. We need to sleep train, Hermione explained it to me. Apparently Rose can already do it.” She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, definitely, sounds great. When we’re not both exhausted yes?” Harry mumbled.

 _“Mumma, mumma!”_ James’ cry became more insistent. Harry tapped his wand and an image of James’ bedroom appeared in the air before them. James was standing up in his crib with tears on his face. 

“Dada’s gonna have to do,” Harry muttered as he sprinted from the room in response to James’ cries. Ginny finished feeding Albus and cradled him into her, where he fell asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling beneath his pale green sleepsuit. 

Harry had left his wand on the table, the monitoring spell still active. Ginny watched him push the door open and cross the room to their tearful toddler, who reached his arms up for Harry. Her husband picked him up and cuddled him close, kissing him on the top of the head and laying him back down in his crib where he stroked James’ hair. 

It hadn’t been intentional, for her to fall pregnant just nine months after James was born. Not that they regretted having a second child, by any means; it had just happened a little sooner than the couple had anticipated.

An eighteen-month-old and a newborn meant that, for Harry and Ginny, two hours sleep in a row was somewhat of a luxury. James wasn’t a great sleeper, something which had only gotten worse with the arrival of his baby brother. Hermione kept telling them to sleep train, but so far it hadn’t happened. They took shifts, taking it in turns to get up for their crying children in the night, but the feeling of solid sleep deprivation was becoming very familiar. 

They didn’t mind though; their lack of sleep was not enough to pop the bubble of happiness having a newborn provided. Albus had been an easy baby so far, happy for Ginny or Harry to wear him on their front in a wrap so they could have both hands free to do things and play with James, whose energy was boundless. 

Harry was due back to work tomorrow, having taken the last three weeks off to be with Ginny and Albus. He’d requested he not be assigned to any missions for the time being, almost happy to take the paperwork side of things so he could be at home reasonably early to give James his bath and put him to bed. 

Ginny wasn’t playing on the Harpies this season, but she’d been flying with the team in training right up until Christmas, keeping her fitness up so she could slot right back in next season. 

Harry appeared in the kitchen doorway a short while later and smiled weakly in Ginny’s direction. “He’s down, for now.” 

He came to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder at their sleeping newborn, who had one hand lightly curled in Ginny’s long hair as he slept. 

“Is it too early to suggest going to bed?” Ginny asked wearily as Harry massaged her shoulders. She checked the clock on the kitchen wall, noticing it was only half past eight. 

“Absolutely not,” Harry replied, looking relieved she had suggested it. 

They went upstairs to bed, Harry knocking the lights out as they went, Ginny carrying Albus in her arms. She lay him on his back in the tiny baby crib in the corner of their room (they would move him to his own room eventually) and he slept on, thankfully not waking at the movement. 

She and Harry were side by side in bed, Ginny struggling to keep her eyes open. 

“Listen to that,” Harry whispered. “Silence.”

“Mmm, remember what silence used to mean?” she muttered into his side as she curled into him. 

“Aw, back in the BC days when we had energy to do such things,” Harry responded, stroking her hair. BC stood for _Before Children_ in the Potter household. 

“Albus got here somehow,” she muttered and Harry snorted. 

She managed what felt like twenty minutes of sleep before Albus’ faint wail filled the room, then she fell asleep again in the armchair beside his bed with him curled up in his bed. That was how Harry found her when he pulled himself from the bed to settle James for the second time. 

Harry spent the last two hours of what should have been sleep before his first day back at work upright in the chair in their room, baby Albus sleeping across his chest. Ginny stirred and watched him place the newborn back into his crib. 

“I’ll miss you all so much today,” Harry sighed, kissing Ginny on the forehead and looking longingly at their sleeping son. 

“Mumma, want tractor!” came the commanding tones of James.

“Will you? Will you really?” Ginny muttered, rising from the bed with him. She checked Albus was still asleep and left the room with Harry to their oldest son, who was wide awake and smiling angelically.

“Mumma, Dada!” he cried happily when he saw them. “Dada, want cuddles!”

James extended his arms to Harry and they both realised their mistake too late.

“Noooooo!” James wailed ten minutes later, throwing his head back.

“Dada will be home later, Jamesy,” Ginny said soothingly, attempting to detach his vice grip from around Harry’s ankle. 

“Dada stay wiv Jamesy!” he screamed as Ginny managed to prise him off and he kicked his legs and arms out. 

“Jamesy stays with Mumma. I know you’re sad, we’ll see Dada later,” she said, cuddling him close to her until he calmed down. “Go, go!” she hissed to Harry, who gave her a fleeting kiss and left with an apologetic expression. 

James clung to Ginny, who heard Albus’ cries in the distance and went to check on him. She sat James down on the bed so she could scoop his baby brother up, and he screamed until she picked him up again too.

With both her sons attached to her, both crying, Ginny sighed.

“When Dada come home?” James asked mournfully.

“Not soon enough,” Ginny responded. 

It was fine though, as Ginny got used to having both boys to herself in the day while Harry worked. James adjusted to the routine of his dad not being around in the day, and Albus learned to hold his own head up which made carrying him easier. Ginny wasn’t short of willing helpers, in the form of her brothers and Luna, who doted on her babies, and Harry was home every evening in time to make dinner. 

Everything worked perfectly, until one night when Harry came home with some bad news and a question for Ginny.

“Gin, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Kingsley needs me to go out on a mission. I told him no, but there’s not an option. It should only be for one night, I said I’d only do it if you were okay with it. What do you think?” Harry looked sincere as he delivered this news, Albus held in his arms on his lap where he was smiling widely at Ginny. 

“If you have to go, you have to go. It’s your job, Harry, and it’s what you have to do.” 

“Thanks for understanding, Gin.” 

* * *

Ginny kissed her husband goodbye and tried not to think about the fact she wouldn’t see him until tomorrow, instead of later that day like usual. She arranged to meet Ron for lunch, to try and take her mind off things, but the process of getting both boys into the car was hellish; it was as if James knew Harry wasn’t coming back that night.

The Floo would have been a million times easier, but Albus was too little and it was always a risk that James would let go and fall out of the wrong fireplace (again - they found him eventually though). 

“Don’t _want_ Mumma put Jamesy in the car,” he crossed his arms and faced away from her. She was carrying Albus’ heavy car seat in one hand and lowered it to the ground, reaching for the keys, all the while not taking her eyes off James in case he decided to dash off. 

“Come on Jamesy, into the car” Ginny said in her brightest, most cheerful voice. She glanced down at Albus, who was happily kicking his legs about in the seat she had placed on the ground. He had recently started smiling at everything and everyone around him, and he grinned at her joyfully, which lifted Ginny’s spirits considerably. 

“Want Dada put Jamesy in the car,” James said sadly, leaning up against one of Ginny’s legs. 

Ginny bent down to her son’s level and took his hands. “Listen Jamesy, Mumma would like to put you in your car seat so we can go and have a lovely lunch with Uncle Ron and your cousin Rose. Does that sound nice?”

“Yah,” said James, clutching at her knee. He looked down into Albus’ seat. “Awbus stay at home.” 

“No, Albus is coming too, sweetheart,” she said, as he allowed her to pick him up. 

“And Dada?” He looked at her angelically. 

Ginny paused and waited until she had strapped him into his car seat before answering. “Dada’s at work.” 

“No! Dada no work!” James arched his back in the car seat, struggling against the seatbelt. 

Ginny turned away from him and grabbed a random plastic figurine on a broom from the bottom of the cluttered car, handing it to James who accepted it immediately. She picked up Albus’ seat and attached it into the base unit inside the car. 

“Well, we’re only going to be fifteen minutes late,” she muttered to herself from the driver’s seat. 

“Mumma, Awbus crying,” James announced as they drove, as if Ginny couldn’t hear her younger son’s wails. 

“Can you show him a big smile Jamesy? He likes that.” 

In her rearview mirror, Ginny watched James grin toothily over at his brother and his cries quietened down. 

“Awbus not crying no more,” he stated. 

“Well done, Jamesy, what a great big brother you are.” Ginny praised him over enthusiastically, hoping this would keep him buoyant while she found a parking space. 

“Jamesy give Awbus a _snack_ ,” he announced as Ginny swung into a space. 

“I didn’t give you any snacks-” Ginny swore under her breath as she jumped out of the driver’s seat, the engine still running, and wrenched the back door open. James was looking very pleased with himself and was watching Albus, who was clutching onto a piece of orange peel James must have found in his car seat. He raised his hand blindly and shoved the old, dried up orange peel into his mouth.

“No, baby boy. That’s not to eat.” Albus gave her a reproachful look as she took it away from him. 

“Awbus eat the snack,” James insisted while Ginny turned the car off. 

“No sweetie, he can’t eat a piece of rubbish from your car seat.” Ginny tried to explain calmly as she unclipped Albus from his car seat and started to attach him to her front. 

“Awbus no eat Jamesy’s snack.” James looked close to tears. 

“Would you like to eat this snack?” She handed him the orange peel and he considered it for a second, before shoving it into his mouth. He spat it out almost instantly.

“I don’t _like it!_ ” he yelled. 

“And Albus didn’t like it either.” Ginny unbuckled him from the seat and lowered him to the ground, grabbing his hand before he could run off. 

“Awbus no eat Jamesy’s snack,” he repeated miserably.

Ginny had to explain to him calmly three times that Albus didn’t have any teeth yet to eat the ‘snack’ but that it had been very kind of James to give it to him and that next time he found something in his car seat, he should tell Mummy instead. 

Ten minutes later, Ginny was entering the restaurant she’d arranged to meet Ron at, wearing Albus on her front and armed with James in one reluctantly-held hand and a large toy fire engine in the other. Ron appeared to have arrived on time, and was holding baby Rose, who was born four months before Albus had been, back in September. 

He placed Rose into a high chair and stood up to greet Ginny with a sympathetic hug, making a big fuss of James and his fire engine. James showed him all the different parts which moved and the hose which magically squirted real water that dried instantly (it was a muggle toy which George had enchanted for James). 

“Sorry I’m late,” Ginny sighed and Ron shook his head.

“I only just got here, and there’s only one of her.” He fondly played with Rose’s curls. “I heard about Harry’s mission, do you want any help tonight?” 

“No it’s okay, you and Hermione have enough on your plate.” She looked down at Albus, who was starting to fuss, and removed him from his carrier, holding him against her chest. She watched James wheel his fire engine up and down the table, to the delight of Rose. 

“He’s so little. Can I?” Ron reached out to take Albus and she handed him over, grabbing a napkin dispenser a second later before James started to empty the entire thing. Ron held Albus close to him. “He feels so small compared to Rose, I remember when I had to hold her like this.” 

“He can’t even sit up by himself yet,” she grinned, taking James’ hand in hers before he stuck it into Ron’s water glass. “No, James.” 

“How’s he sleeping?” Ron asked, using one hand to feed Rosie with a bottle. Ginny took Albus back from him when Rose started to whine. 

“Not too badly, better than James did at that age. Better than James now, to be honest.” Ginny wondered if her brother could tell she was lacking in sleep and if it was the same for him. 

“You need to-”

“Sleep train. I know.” Ginny gave him a withering look. “It’s slightly more complicated with another baby in the house.”

“Rosie is such a good sleeper,” Ron said dreamily. 

“Well hooray for you.” He laughed at her bitter tone. “Ron, I haven’t slept through an entire night in over a year. Do not have a second child until Rosie is at least ten, trust me.” 

“Oh but this one’s so _cute_ ,” Ron said in a silly voice, taking one of Albus’ hands in his and wiggling it around, making the baby squeal in delight. Ginny eyed him and he caught himself and cleared his throat. 

“Those parenting classes Hermione made you take have made you weird, Ron.” 

* * *

The night started off surprisingly smoothly. James allowed Ginny to bathe him, even though it was usually Harry, while Albus lay on his back on a towel and kicked his legs. She put the radio on and it seemed to calm James down enough that he could splash around happily in the bath tub. 

James ran around their bedroom with no clothes on, the towel she had wrapped him in discarded, while Ginny changed Albus’ nappy. She dressed him in pyjamas and wrapped him to her front. 

It was not so easy to persuade James to put his pyjamas on, and it was half an hour later when he was finally in his own bedroom ready to go down, by which time Albus was screaming to be held again. With James lowered into his crib, Ginny could remove Albus from the wrap and cradle him to her like he wanted. She balanced a story book in one hand, and facilitated nursing Albus with the other while she read the book to James.

He obediently lay down while she read the story, and she thought that maybe it would be alright, as his eyes seemed to get tired the more she read. The story came to a finish and James blinked at her. 

“Dada read to Jamesy now,” he requested. 

“No, Mumma’s reading to Jamesy tonight,” Ginny resigned herself to reading the book through again. Albus fell asleep against her chest as she did so. 

The book came to an end for the second time and James sighed after Ginny kissed him goodnight. “Dada kiss Jamesy.” 

“No, Mumma kisses Jamesy and Albus tonight.” 

James’ bottom lip trembled. “Want _Dada_ kiss Jamesy and Awbus.” 

“Here’s a big kiss from Dada.” She kissed him again and started to read the story book again, deciding she would continue to read it in a slow, quiet tone until James fell asleep. 

It took four more readings for him to finally drop off, by which time Albus was awake again and snuffling against her. 

“Are you going to be good for me tonight baby boy?” Ginny murmured to the baby as she carried him to her room. “Of course you are, you’re always good.” 

She rocked him back and forth, but it took much longer than usual to get him to sleep, as if he knew Harry wasn’t there. She listened the entire time for sounds or movement from James’ room but there were none. 

Eventually, Albus was asleep and she placed him in his crib where he curled his little fist up adorably. Ginny just watched him sleep for a bit, smoothing his dark hair down lightly. Albus had been born with a considerable amount of dark hair, a contrast to James who had barely had any hair when he was born. 

_Harry’s hair_ , Ginny always thought when she looked at Albus. 

A cry sounded from James’ room and Ginny tore her admiring gaze from Albus to go and soothe him back to sleep. Nothing in particular ever seemed to wake James up. He just periodically decided he couldn’t possibly sleep until he had been placed back into his crib by one of his parents. 

Ginny was exhausted, and she thought of the kitchen which still contained dinner dishes and felt like crying. Ever since her first pregnancy, Ginny couldn’t believe how little it took to make her cry. 

Albus was sleeping peacefully, as was James, and she crawled into bed herself, wondering how long she had before-

“Dada!” 

Ginny groaned and dragged herself out of bed, cuddling James and returning him to his crib, rubbing his back until he was asleep again. No sooner had she returned to her room, Albus stirred and whimpered. She cradled him to her until he fell back to sleep. Once Albus was down, James would wake up. 

The cycle continued, almost as if the Potter boys had planned it, and Ginny felt like she’d been placed under the imperius curse, just going through the motions but not planning any of it. 

The fourth time she put James back to bed and rubbed his back, her own eyes drooping, she thought about how lucky she was that she usually had Harry to do this with her. She couldn’t imagine having to do this by herself every night. 

As James’ breathing evened out, Ginny felt her own eyes droop against the armchair behind her. The silence of both her boys allowed her to fall into a light sleep on the floor of James’ bedroom. 

She was jerked awake by the sound of Albus crying again. It wasn’t a loud cry, but she was attuned to her own son’s wails and it wrenched her from sleep. Her eyes were barely staying open as she pulled herself away from the armchair she’d been leaning against. It was so soft, and warm, and she was so tired, and Albus had stopped crying, and her eyelids were so heavy. 

Ginny was awake again, and she confusedly stared around James’ dark bedroom, trying to work out what had woken her up. 

Albus.

Albus had been crying, and he’d stopped crying. He’d stopped crying all by himself. He’d stopped crying but not because she had gone to him.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

She leapt up from her position on the floor, rushing from the room and across the landing, sheer panic filling her from within. Her baby wasn’t crying, why had he stopped crying? 

Every terrifying possibility rushed through her mind at a million miles an hour and Albus’ crib was the first thing she registered in the room, along with the clock displaying that it was three am. She rushed to his crib and leant over, praying she’d find her baby peacefully sleeping. 

He wasn’t there and the crib was empty. 

“He’s here, he’s okay,” came a voice from behind her and Ginny span erratically towards it.

It was Harry, sitting on their bed and holding a cooing Albus. 

“You’re home,” she said, falling down beside him and taking Albus from his arms, holding him close to her as if she couldn’t believe he was real. “I fell asleep in James’ room and I heard him crying so I woke up, but then he stopped crying and I drifted off and then I woke up and realised he’d stopped crying and I thought… I thought-”

She couldn’t stop the tears from coming and Harry wrapped his arms around both of them. 

“Relax Ginny, everything’s alright. Albus is fine, I had him. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you I was coming home early. This is all my fault really.” 

Ginny nodded tearfully and offered Harry a tiny grin. “These _stupid_ pregnancy hormones. Why am I still crying?” 

“I’m never leaving you again, Gin. Kingsley can fire me if he likes, I’m not doing another overnight mission until the kids are all at Hogwarts.” 

She smiled gratefully and fell back into his arms where he kissed the top of her head.

“Mumma!” 

Ginny groaned. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have any feedback :)  
> Follow my  tumblr  for updates: littlerose13writes


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